Various communication media exist for delivering content to subscribers. Many of these networks allow for two-way communication between the deliverer of the content and the subscriber. For example, cable television head-end systems provide two way transport of data between the cable head-end location and the home subscribing to the service. This architecture is used for applications such as pay-per-view, interactive television, subscription services and billing arrangements. Satellite broadcast companies also provide a two-way communications path between the transmission location and the subscriber home. The up-link path sometimes utilizes a telephone or modem. Another known architecture uses an FM radio signal to send secondary data corresponding to a television broadcast, into homes. Telephone or modems are used for the up-link.
While somewhat popular and useful, these architectures suffer from various limitations, especially with respect to delivering mixed media content. For example, two-way cable head-end equipment is expensive to deploy and functions only within a limited number of cable miles. In addition, specialized equipment is needed at the receiver's home, as well as a subscription(s) to the service.
Furthermore, advertisers and syndication companies may broadcast their content nationally, regionally, locally, or in other manners. The above architectures provide little in the way of target marketing based upon individual household composition, except by neighborhood or subscription. Some advertisers, especially those with a limited, local presence, may not be able to afford a subscription to interactive architectures.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,267, issued on Sep. 23, 1997 for “Interactive System for Communications Between a Cordless Telephone and a Remotely Operated Device” describes a handheld cordless telephone that is also able to remotely operate another electronic device, as well as be used as an interface to interact with other devices. It can mute television volume when an incoming call is detected. It can receive a telephone number relating to an advertisement and store it in memory for later retrieving and dialing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,267 is hereby incorporated as if fully set forth herein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,929,920, issued on Jul. 27, 1999 for “System and Method for Encoding Digital Information in a Television Signal” relates to a method for encoding data into a video signal in a manner that does not interfere with the video signal but can be perceived by a photo-detector and thereby enabling recovery of the data. The energy of the encoded signal is added in a portion of the video signal that contains little energy so that a viewer of the video signal will not perceive the embedded signal. U.S. Pat. No. 5,929,920 is hereby incorporated as if fully set forth herein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,295 issued on Oct. 29, 1996 to Isenberg and Tuomenoksa for “System and Method of Capturing Encoded Data Transmitted Over a Communications Network in a Video System” relates to data representing the telephone number of the service provider transmitted over a communications network that also carries a video signal. The data is captured by a telephony-capable component of the viewer's video system, illustratively a set-top box. The set-top box is connected to the telephone network so that information such as voice signals and data signals may be transmitted between the viewer's video system and the service provider. The set-top box may include an interface for a telephone or another communication device, such as a speaker phone, by which the viewer may communicate with the service provider. The communication device may also be directly integrated into the set-top box. U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,295 is hereby incorporated as if fully set forth herein.